Xbox 360 or a wii?

[Brad]

I'd go for the 360. A lot of the software on the Wii doesn't really take advantage of the Wiimote. There are more than a few games for the system where all you do is shake the remote or some other nonsense.

Our Wii gets a lot of use but it's mostly just people playing Wii Sports or Guitar Hero. My Wii probably spends more time emulating older consoles than it does actually running Wii or Gamecube software.

First person shooters on the Wii just don't measure up to the Xbox 360. The Xbox community sees a new FPS games all the time (I'm personally hooked on Left 4 Dead ), the controls are standardized for the most part and there is already an established online community to play with on Xbox live.

On that note I would not turn kids lose on Xbox live... For one thing there are too many of them on there anyway and secondly what goes on over voice chat just isn't kid friendly.

I also wouldn't buy into this idea that buying a Wii is healthy for anyone that plays it. I assure you it's possible to play every game for the system with your butt firmly planted in an easy chair. My brother is an expert at bowling (300 is his high score) and he plays it while laying on the couch. If you want active kids video games aren't the answer.

One final thing to keep in mind; One console is not really any more expensive than the other after you add up the cost of extra controllers and games. In my experience it's easier to find second hand Xbox 360 controllers/other misc hardware and games.